How To Get Rid Of Fungus Gnats Cannabis – Fungal midges are like little bugs that buzz around cannabis plants, especially around the soil. Their larvae develop in moist soil, and they often appear when topsoil remains wet for long periods between waterings.
A fungus gnat is so small that it is thinner than the width of a quarter. They usually appear when cannabis plants are watered frequently. If you let the top inch of your soil dry before watering your plants each time, fungus gnats will often disappear naturally. However, if you have a really bad infestation, it may take weeks of good irrigation practices before you get rid of them all unless you do something to reduce their numbers by killing them directly. Read on to learn how to get rid of mildew on your cannabis plants.
How To Get Rid Of Fungus Gnats Cannabis
Fungus Beetles – How do you get rid of these tiny flying insects that lay eggs in your soil? This article will teach cannabis growers (like you) just that: how to get rid of fungus gnats completely and keep them from coming back!
What Are Fungus Gnats And How To Get Rid Of Them?
Fungal midges are a common problem for cannabis growers in the soil (especially those who overwater their plants!), but getting rid of them is really easy once you know what to do!
Fungus midges are tiny, only about 2 mm long. To give you an idea of how big it is, 2mm is about the thickness of a quarter.
Despite their small size, fungus gnats can be a huge nuisance in your cannabis growing in the soil, mainly because their tiny worms/larvae can injure your plant’s roots (which can cause problems for your plants).
Fungus mosquito larvae feed on fungi or decaying material and need moist conditions to thrive. It’s common for soil growers to overwater their cannabis plants, and wet soil is the perfect home for mold and rotting organic matter. After a fungus grows (which is often invisible to the naked eye) or after overly hydrated material in the topsoil begins to rot, a fungus gnat lays its eggs in the top layer of moist soil.
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These eggs hatch into larvae that look like tiny worms that live only 2-3 inches (5-8 cm) of soil. The fungus gnats are the culprits that cause damage to cannabis roots.
Cannabis roots are not a major food source for fungus gnat larvae, but the roots are caught on crucifers. Although the main diet of fungus gnats is fungus and decaying matter, the larvae happily feed on the root hairs and tender roots of young cannabis plants.
Damage to the roots by these tiny suckers causes leaf problems and reduced growth. A nasty fungal infection can even kill cannabis plants, especially young seedlings.
While the main problem is fungus gnat larvae attacking the roots of your cannabis plants, fully grown fungus gnats can also spread diseases (such as rabies – which causes common root rot) through their legs.
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If fungus gnats need fungus and decaying material to survive, where does the fungus come from? Fungus thrives in moist conditions and is an essential part of the ecosystem (it breaks down organic matter such as dead leaves). Fungal spores are always around us, but these spores cannot begin to grow without moisture. Warm and moist conditions in the soil where cannabis grows cause fungus to grow and decompose. Sometimes you can’t even see mold or rotting material with the naked eye. But if conditions are right, fungus gnats will thrive in the top layer of your soil, whether you can see the fungus or not.
Even if your plant or leaves aren’t showing signs or problems yet, if you see fungus gnats, it means you have a problem with mold and moisture in your soil. Do not let the insect get out of hand. It is always recommended to remove any insects from the grow room as soon as you know they are present!
This video shows what fungus gnats look like and explains how to get rid of them (or read the rest of the article!)
Fully grown fungus gnats are annoying (and gross); They won’t bite you and won’t do much to directly hurt your plants
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. But while adult fungus gnats aren’t a big threat to your plants, the presence of adult gnats tells you that your cannabis soil is contaminated with their maggots, which can cause real problems.
This picture is very large so you can see what you are looking for, but the larvae/maggots are very small. If you look at them, you can see small white spots moving around in the topsoil.
Gnat larvae are soil-borne fungi that can damage the roots of your plants and cause growing problems, especially for seedlings or young plants.
Fruit flies are brown/yellow/orange and fungus gnats are dark brown or black. Fruit flies are larger/fatter and easier to see than small fungus gnats. With fruit flies you need to take a slightly different approach.
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Fruit flies will come to eat ripe or rotten fruit. If you’ve ever kept a banana or other fruit on your counter for too long, you’ve probably noticed how fruit flies appear out of thin air if the fruit is ripe.
Fruit flies will start buzzing around unripe/rotten compost-free soil unless they have ripe/rotting fruit or other tasty bits.
Fungal infestations can cause all sorts of strange problems for your cannabis plants – often they are overwatering, pH problems, or nutrient deficiencies. If you have too many fungus gnats, you will see damaged leaves and lower growth rates.
Since fungus gnats are almost always caused by overwatering and over-wet topsoil conditions, some of these symptoms may be caused by over-wet soil. In any case, if you see fungus gnats, it means that there is something wrong with your system.
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Here are some photos of cannabis plants affected by midge attacks. Notice how the leaves are not healthy (there are yellow, spots, curling, etc.). It’s almost impossible to tell if you have fungus gnats just by looking at the plant’s leaves because it can cause so many different symptoms.
Most importantly, don’t overwater your plants! Never water cannabis plants grown in soil until the top inch of soil is dry (up to your knees). Fungi need moist topsoil conditions to grow and thrive. The most common cause of midge fungus for growers is overwatering their plants.
While the steps below will help you get rid of your fungus gnats quickly and effectively, if you stop overwatering your cannabis plants, the gnats will almost always disappear on their own. When there is no fungus, there is no fungus gnat, and both need moist conditions to thrive. But if you already have them, here’s how to get them out of your growing area…
1.) Place yellow sticky cards in the growing area – fungus gnats love yellow and fly towards it. These yellow sticky cards (found in most garden stores) are coated with a glue that traps fully grown fungus gnats and reduces their numbers.
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But the most important reason for using yellow sticky cards is to help you monitor how bad the fungus infestation is at the moment. As infection decreases, fewer adults are caught in yellow sticky traps. You know your method is working.
2.) A fan should blow air over the growing medium. This helps keep the top layer of your soil dry, and helps prevent fungus gnats from flying around and laying more eggs.
3.) Don’t water your plants for a few days. Before applying a treatment (which includes watering) the soil should begin to dry out to kill as many larvae as possible. Fungus midge larvae need a warm, moist environment near the surface of your soil to thrive. Even after you’ve gone through all these steps and believe the fungus gnats are gone, make sure to avoid watering the plants, as this is a common reason for growers to get fungus in the first place. Don’t do the next step until the top few inches of soil have dried
Get diatomaceous earth on Amazon (this particular bag has a powder duster that makes it easier to use)
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If you still have fungus gnats after a few days, try mixing it up as they may start to resist your chosen treatment. Try one of these alternative treatments:
5.) Avoid watering your cannabis plants from now on. Never water your cannabis plants until the top inch or two of soil is dry. Henceforth, the topsoil should not remain wet for fungus gnats and fungus gnats to breed. How often should I water my cannabis plants? Allow your plant to dry out more than usual between waterings until the mildew disappears, then you can go back to a normal watering schedule.
6.) Keep your sticky yellow cards until the fungus gnats are completely gone. These yellow sticky cards will continue to kill fully grown skunks. They are useful because they alert you
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